Criterion satisfies every feature note we were hoping for in an enterprise-centric HCM. It covers talent acquisition, onboarding, attendance, benefits, compliance, communications, enrollments, payroll, and other HR tasks through a single central database. Thanks to this, finding employee information is quick and easy, and its ability to eliminate double data entry is just on par with other robust HCM listed in this buyer guide.

Two standout features of Criterion that receive lots of love from admin and employee users alike are its time tracking and payroll.

The time and attendance feature includes scheduling and labor tracking that can work for both on-site and remote hires. It also supports biometric check-ins where employees can clock in with a fingerprint—a huge plus for teams in environments like factories and warehouses.

As for payroll, Criterion has one-click integration with payroll systems and can process payroll and taxes quickly with minimal user input. Plus, the employee self-service portal that centralizes all communications between managers and staff regarding time tracking, PTO, and performance reviews is such a great element in driving better team collaboration and engagement.

Criterion offers a mobile app that allows workers to track their time on the go. However, it wasn’t as good as we expected, with system crashes and login issue loops happening here and there as we tested it out.

It’s no secret that Criterion is recognizable by its feature richness but not so much in appearance. The UI looks quite dated, and teams prioritizing simplicity over comprehensiveness may find this HCM’s layout a bit too information-heavy.

Owing to its extensive feature set and, especially, formula-driven configurations, employers may encounter some learning curves to get used to all the features Criterion offers. For the same reason, the time to get the software up and running is quite long, with implementation taking 2 to 6 months to finish.